How Long Will Drum Corps Last?

[MikeD]

JackState seems to be doing well in their arrangement, but it hasn't been duplicated... any thoughts of why not?

In general, I am not sure what the upside is from the school's perspective. Jack State seems to be great with it, but I wonder where the benefit to the school comes from.

Not saying there isn't one...I am just not seeing it...anyone help?

[MN DCI Fan]

I suppose it's similar to the benefit that colleges realize from having high-profile athletic programs...exposure. The theory is that if you get your name out there you put your school in the public eye, and hopefully increase your school's applicant pool, which leads to more (and higher quality) students, more tuition money, etc..

Before Spirit's affiliation, I (as a life-long Midwesterner) had never heard of Jacksonville State University.

The fact that I thought it meant Jacksonville Florida up until last year is another story entirely......

[Jeff Ream]

JackState seems to be doing well in their arrangement, but it hasn't been duplicated... any thoughts of why not?

$$$. if it wont help pay some bills, many schools may not be interested

[FrankA]

A college sort of League of Division of DCI would be ok. But I really dont like the idea of completely moving to college. That would take away all of the members younger or not in college. Plus, How much more attention would we get then the current marching bands. I know that we are different but they dont get that much publicity.

[MikeD]

I suppose it's similar to the benefit that colleges realize from having high-profile athletic programs...exposure. The theory is that if you get your name out there you put your school in the public eye, and hopefully increase your school's applicant pool, which leads to more (and higher quality) students, more tuition money, etc..

Don't know the cost/benefit analysis on something like that, but it's a good point.

Before Spirit's affiliation, I (as a life-long Midwesterner) had never heard of Jacksonville State University.

The fact that I thought it meant Jacksonville Florida up until last year is another story entirely......

:P

I thought so too at first...

[audiodb]

Considering that DCI is a confederation of (big) corps, how else can they address the issue?

For starters, to address any problem, it has to get on the agenda for discussion. I haven't seen that happening.

Actually, you illuminate an obstacle in the wording of your question. To tackle an issue this complex requires a unified approach across all divisions. DCI is not just "big" corps. I don't get the sense that communication between division I and II/III is where it needs to be to get a grip on the complexities of attrition. Talk of this new governance structure gives hope that leaders of II/III and division I will be in the same room more often - I think that will help.

DCI must also acknowledge that division I units, stable as they have become, are not immortal. Thus, division II/III serves a vital role in providing new division I corps to counteract attrition at the division I level. Perhaps denial of that fact is only an issue with fans on discussion boards. But I'd like to see DCI take action to confirm a long-term commitment to sustaining II/III. Again, the form this new governance structure takes will speak volumes toward that issue.

Until you got to the point of complete revenue sharing, or combined accounting at least, you can only set an arbitrary performance and financial goal. If the corps botch it from there, c'est la vie.

Yeah, I know - you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it.

Bear in mind, though, that DCI's evaluation process and participation review committee were developed with the intention of generating results - more surviving corps, longer-lived corps, and upwardly mobile corps. If those goals aren't happening, the effort needs to go to the next level.

- Teach the horse how to drink. The evaluation process should not be a pass/fail exercise, but rather, an educational process in which the corps is shown how to succeed from the start and guided along the way. In this case, I have heard repeatedly how DCI does what I just described (kudos!).

- Put the water in his mouth. As you alluded, increased revenue sharing would certainly help any corps.

- Plug his nose and make him swallow. Division II/III used to be better integrated with division I at DCI events. DCI marketing strategy changed to segregate the divisions, first by removing class A finals from it's original Friday night slot to earlier in the week, then by expanding division I from two rounds to three (four for awhile), then by eliminating prelims and II/III from regional focus events, and finally limiting II/III exposure at other DCI tour shows. Since then, while division I health has improved, II/III has declined - and that's where the attrition is now.

Reversing this segregation is an idea DCI marketing experts won't want to swallow, but if they want to combat attrition, they should consider some degree of increased inclusion for II/III.

- Or get more horses. Evidently, despite all DCI is doing, there is still a great shortage of corps administrators due to the daunting workload they face. Startups are down to a trickle, with no chance of balancing attrition. Should nothing change, the activity will continue shrinking to the point where some events and/or divisions can no longer be maintained. DCI could investigate ways to make the corps director's job easier by providing more centralized services. Whether it be accounting, non-profit compliance, insurance, fundraising concepts, merchandising, copyrights, bulk supplies, recruiting members or volunteers, etc., DCI has the potential to consolidate tasks and leverage the market power of their collective membership. Anything that makes the director's job easier could induce more people to take such jobs, and thus, create more corps.

(Sorry for the length, but you did ask for specifics....)

I personally think that what DCI has put in place as a measuring stick will not pay off in the short term. Corps that have to meet these new obligations are apparently well-heeled enough that they are stable.

Not really. We only let two new corps in last year, and one is already gone. Looking back a few years farther, Eklipse only lasted one year; Court of Honor and Dimensions two each.

[Hup234]

= It would appear that your site's arrogance in forcing those poll voters whose opinion is that true D&BC is indeed dead to simultaneously be the butt of your 'dinosaur' joke may not have stopped as many people as perhaps you'd hoped from voting the 'dead' option anyway, and that's a good thing.

"The opposite of cowardice is not bravery, but conformity." -Robert Anthony

[BD Mello Major 05]

I have to say that I see corps becoming the new "NASCAR" meaning, that since NASCAR has become the fastest growing spectator sport in the country. I see DCI coming into the main stream of pop culture. A sort of renaissance of live performance, especially since the ESPN broadcast.

Edited June 13, 2006 by BD Mello Major 05

[Shadow_7]

I don't think drumcorps will ever die, it will exist in one form or another. Even if it's just a parade corps, or exhibition corps. At least as long as their is a military, nation, and people who've done drumcorps and have had kids.

But, I don't see any possibility of a sustained national championships with the current trends. High dues, time commitment, fuel costs, et cetera. Drumcorps is going to have to find a way to operate in the black and out of the red without making their membership spend 2/3rds of their seasonal time commitment doing non-drumcorps things to raise money to cover the costs of doing drumcorps.

But then again, I don't see a golden lining on this nation and the standard of living that will allow people to have the time and money to do drumcorps. As it is, I see social security going away before I will be able to partake of it. Healthcare is already too expensive, even if you happen to have a job with benefits, you're still paying most of the bill out of your income. Retirement plans are almost non-existent these days outside of government jobs. Family's as they are have to have mom and dad work just to get by, and will probably have to work two jobs each by the time I get around to having kids. The earths fuel supply is already halfway gone and the increased useage will use the other half in half the time. Throw in a couple super flu's and a change in climate and things fifty years from now isn't looking so grand. Long gone are the brady bunch days where a single individual (dad) can work a single forty hour a week job and bring home enough to raise a family of four and still retire after twenty years.

[Jeff Ream]

= It would appear that your site's arrogance in forcing those poll voters whose opinion is that true D&BC is indeed dead to simultaneously be the butt of your 'dinosaur' joke may not have stopped as many people as perhaps you'd hoped from voting the 'dead' option anyway, and that's a good thing.

"The opposite of cowardice is not bravery, but conformity." -Robert Anthony

Don't blame DCP, blame the person who made the poll....they put those options up